Chapter 4 - The Deposition
The high-rise law offices of Vance, Sterling & Associates overlooked the frozen expanse of the city skyline. The conference room on the 40th floor was lined with floor-to-ceiling glass, but the atmosphere inside was colder than the winter air outside.
Sharon sat at the far end of the long mahogany table, flanked by two high-priced, aggressive defense attorneys dressed in sharp charcoal suits. She wore a tailored black coat, heavy gold jewelry, and dark sunglasses that she refused to take off until the court reporter instructed her to do so. Even then, her eyes were cold, hollow, and fiercely contemptuous.
Across from her sat Lawrence, Daniel, myself, and our lead attorney, Marcus Vance—Lawrence’s younger brother and one of the top corporate litigators in the state.
"We are here today," Marcus began, placing a sleek black tablet on the table, "to conduct the preliminary deposition regarding the dissolution of marriage between Lawrence Vance and Sharon Vance, as well as the immediate restructuring of the Vance Family Trust."
Sharon scoffed loudly. "This entire proceeding is a farce. My husband is suffering from cognitive decline, manipulated by his bitter son and a gold-digging daughter-in-law who has spent six years trying to dismantle this family!"
"Let the record reflect," Marcus said smoothly, completely ignoring her outburst, "that Mrs. Vance has made unsanctioned verbal allegations. Now, let us review the evidence."
Marcus tapped the tablet, streaming a high-definition video onto the large monitor mounted on the conference room wall.
The video showed a dimly lit restaurant booth from three months prior. Sharon was sitting across from a man in a leather jacket—a disgraced former technician from a regional genetic laboratory.
Sharon’s eyes widened behind her heavy mascara.
On the audio recording, Sharon’s voice was unmistakable: "I need the document to look official. It must state that the child, Mia Vance, shares zero genetic markers with Daniel Vance. Make it convincing enough that he doesn't question it."
The technician’s voice replied: "That's illegal, lady. Falsifying medical records carries heavy jail time."
"You'll be paid $50,000 in cash," Sharon’s voice answered cold-heartedly. "And another $50,000 once Daniel files for divorce."
The video paused.
The room was deathly quiet. Sharon’s lead attorney turned to look at her, his eyebrows drawn together in sudden, sharp concern. "Mrs. Vance... did you authorize this transaction?"
"It's fake!" Sharon spat, though a bead of sweat was now trickling down the side of her neck. "They edited that! It's a deepfake!"
"We have the physical bank receipts, Sharon," Marcus said, pulling a stack of certified documents from his briefcase. "We also have the signed confession of Mr. Gregory Hayes, the technician in that video, who surrendered himself to state authorities yesterday evening in exchange for a plea bargain. Furthermore, we have a sworn affidavit from your daughter, Melanie Vance."
Sharon whipped her head around. "Melanie would never!"
"Melanie surrendered all electronic communications between the two of you," Daniel said, stepping forward and placing his hands flat on the table. "Including text messages where you explicitly instructed her to drop the fake report into my office mailbox on December 10th while I was in a board meeting."
Sharon sank back into her leather chair. The color had completely drained from her face, leaving her looking fragile, old, and defeated. The carefully constructed wall of arrogance she had spent decades building was crumbling to dust in front of her eyes.
"You ruined everything," Sharon whispered, her eyes fixing onto me with intense hatred. "You were supposed to be nothing. A nobody from a middle-class family who didn't belong in our world. Daniel was supposed to marry someone of stature! Someone who would elevate our name!"
"I elevated this family by bringing truth into it, Sharon," I replied calmly, looking her straight in the eye. "You thought stature was built on money, lies, and controlling people through fear. But you ended up destroying the very legacy you claimed to protect."
Lawrence leaned forward, his hands resting on the table. "Sharon. Under the terms of our prenuptial agreement, acts of severe fraud, attempted extortion of family assets, and grand larceny immediately nullify all rights to spousal support, property division, and trust disbursements."
He pushed a single sheet of paper across the table toward her.
"Sign the uncontested divorce papers today," Lawrence said, his voice flat and resolute. "You will surrender all claims to the Vance estate, the city penthouse, and the family name. In exchange, I will refrain from pushing the district attorney for maximum sentencing on the embezzlement charges, allowing you to avoid prison time."
Sharon’s attorney leaned over, whispering frantically in her ear. "Sharon, sign it. If this goes to trial, you will be facing five to ten years in federal prison. Take the deal."
Sharon looked at the pen resting on the white paper. Her hand shook as she reached for it. For thirty years, she had ruled the Vance family with an iron fist, dictating who they loved, how they spent their money, and how they lived their lives. Now, with a single stroke of a pen, her reign was over.
She signed her name with a jagged, shaky script, threw the pen across the table, and stood up without a word.
As she reached the door, Daniel called out one last time. "Sharon."
She stopped, her back to us, her shoulders rigid.
May you like
"If you ever come near Sarah, Noah, or Mia again," Daniel said softly, "I won't use lawyers. I will ensure every door in this country is permanently shut in your face. Live whatever life you have left in quiet reflection of what you lost."
Sharon didn't answer. She opened the heavy wooden door and walked out, disappearing into the cold, empty hallway.
